President Donald Trump says House Democratsâ $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill will not make it very far in the legislative process.
âItâs, as they say, D.O.A. Dead on arrival,â Trump said during a meeting with governors of Colorado and North Dakota on Wednesday.Â
He added, âOf course Nancy Pelosi knows that.â
Trump claimed the bill is a âvoting packageâ that would hurt Republicansâ electoral chances, âThey want to be able to make sure that Republicans canât win an election by putting in all sorts of mail-in ballots.â
On Tuesday, House Democrats unveiled their new coronavirus relief that is estimated to cost $3 trillion. The bill would provide $1 trillion to state and local governments, direct payments to Americans of up to $6,000 per household, as well as $25 billion for the Post Office.
The bill would also give hazard pay to workers on the frontlines of the Coronavirus Outbreak, extend the $600 increase in unemployment benefits until January 2021, provide assistance to low-income Americans to protect them from evictions, and allocate $3.6 billion to states to bolster election security.
While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) hailed the bill as âjust what Ameria needs,â Senate Republicans have given the bill a cold reception.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he wants to assess the effectiveness of the previous coronavirus relief bills before Congress passes another multi-trillion bill.
âWeâre taking a look at what weâve already done â weâve added about $3 trillion to the national debt â and assessing the effectiveness of that before deciding to go forward,â he said on Tuesday.
âWhat youâve seen in the House ⌠is not something designed to deal with reality, but designed to deal with aspirations,â McConnell said as he blasted the bill.
He added, âThis is not a time for aspirational legislation. This is a time for a practical response to the coronavirus pandemic.â
While Republicans baulked at the new bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said, âWe have to put money in the pockets of the American people, recognizing the pain, the agony that they are feeling. To those who would suggest a pause, Iâll say, the hunger doesnât take a pause, the rent doesnât take a pause, the hardship doesnât take a pause.â
